When most Americans think about what presidents do every day, they tend to think about making headlines. It's the president's stance on big speeches, bill-signing events, high-profile controversies, and the image he projects to the nation. The rest of the world, the gossip surrounding their families and staff, and their own personality quirks and tendencies.
Sadly, they were chosen by the president to run something that is arguably far more important and influential to the daily lives of this country's 300 million-plus residents: the day-to-day operations of the nation. We rarely reflect on people's work. federal government.
This fact was repeatedly driven home last week as the Biden administration announced a series of critically important but lightly publicized new rules and regulations to protect workers, seniors, and the planet's environment.
Consider the following:
Expansion of overtime pay: On April 23, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a final rule that will make approximately 4 million low-wage salaried workers in executive, managerial, and professional positions eligible for overtime pay.
As The State Newsroom's Ariana Figueroa reported, the calculation is a bit complicated, but the bottom line is that the department will be updating its pay levels and methodology for calculating who is eligible for overtime pay under federal law. One million workers will benefit on July 1, and a further three million will benefit on January 1, 2025.
Nursing home improvements: The changes to overtime rules come a day after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services introduced new regulations requiring nursing homes to improve staffing ratios.
As Clark Kaufman of the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported, the new regulations establish for the first time nationwide minimum staffing requirements for nursing homes that collect taxpayer money through Medicare and Medicaid-funded services.
And, as nursing home corporations have already complained, improving working conditions and wages will also improve the recruitment and retention of direct care workers, allowing them to provide safer, higher quality care services. The administration believes that this will happen, and is making a convincing argument. Consideration for all residents.
Attacking the climate emergency: By any fair estimate, the single greatest threat to the long-term safety and well-being (and in some cases, short-term safety and well-being, given the increasing intensity and frequency of severe weather events) of the average American. is a global climate emergency.
And while there is no denying that America's political leaders of both major parties have been devastatingly negligent on this front, the Biden administration has surpassed its predecessors in the effort and resources it has devoted to tackling the crisis. It is also true that there are.
This truth became clear recently when the Environmental Protection Agency announced a long-awaited set of rules to reduce air, water, and land pollution from fossil fuel-fired power plants, especially coal-fired power plants. Ta. As The State Newsroom's Robert Zullo reported, coal-fired power plants that plan to operate beyond 2039 must capture 90% of their carbon emissions by 2032.
This will be a big change. It's so big that pro-coal groups are already slamming the proposal and are sure to spend millions of dollars on lawyers trying to block it in court.
Last week's announcement wasn't the only one of its kind in recent times.
On April 12, the administration announced plans to cancel student loans for an additional 277,000 borrowers nationwide, including 8,100 individuals in North Carolina. As Newsline's Ahmed Jarrow reported, the announcement brings the total amount of loan forgiveness approved by the administration to $153 billion for about 4.3 million Americans, more than 9% of all student loan debt. It will be occupied. This figure includes $3.9 billion for 82,410 people in North Carolina.
The incident occurred just one day after the administration finalized new rules requiring those selling guns to obtain a federal license and conduct background checks. As Newsline reported, the new rule introduces what's known as the “gun show loophole,” a federal regulation that applies to gun dealers who sell online, by mail, or at flea markets or gun shows. This would close a hole in the federal law that exempts people from I own and operate a gun store as my primary source of income.
None of these new rules and regulations were developed and promulgated without controversy and resistance. All will likely face legal issues that will take time to resolve. The second Trump administration will likely seek swift repeal of each bill. That's how things work in a country of laws and elections.
But if they take full and lasting effect, each of these new rules and regulations will be a hugely significant accomplishment, one that will help the president change the lives of millions of average Americans in very tangible ways. It is also important to note that this is an example of directly improving methods.
If only most Americans knew enough to recognize such behaviors and weigh them when choosing their next president.
